Content delivery apparatus, content reproducing apparatus, content delivery method, content reproducing method, content delivery program, content reproducing program, and recording medium

ABSTRACT

A content delivery apparatus delivers, to an information processing device, content data reproducible within an effective period. The content delivery apparatus includes a payment information acquiring unit that acquires information concerning a state of payment that is from a user of the information processing device and for a fee for delivery of the content data; a temporary authentication information sending unit that sends, to the user without using a communication line, temporary authentication information to temporarily extend the effective period, when the information acquired by the payment information acquiring unit indicates that the payment of the fee has been made; and a formal authentication information sending unit that sends, to the information processing device by using the communication line, formal authentication information to formally extend the effective period, when the information acquired by the payment information acquiring unit indicates that the payment of the fee has been made.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a content delivery apparatus, a contentdelivery method, a content delivery program, and a recording medium thatdeliver predetermined content data. The present invention furtherrelates to a content reproducing apparatus, a content reproducingprogram, and a recording medium that reproduce predetermined contentdata. Utilization of the present invention, however, is not limited tothe content delivery apparatus, the content reproducing apparatus, thecontent delivery method, the content reproducing method, the contentdelivery program, the content reproducing program, and the recordingmedium.

BACKGROUND ART

In recent years, a service called subscription service is gainingwidespread use and enables a user to download and watch and hear (listento) desired content data from among a group of content data such asmusic, etc., for a period limited by a contract term, at a predeterminedcontract fee. The subscription service adopts, for example, a downloadsystem of copying the content data to the content reproducing apparatusof the user or a streaming system in which the content data does notremain on the content reproducing apparatus of the user. Thesubscription service enables the user to watch and listen to a largeamount of content at a low contract fee.

A technology is proposed for smoothing distribution of content data inthe subscription service. For example, a content server encrypts contentwhen providing the content to a client by way of the Internet. A headerof the encrypted content includes description of attribute informationof the content. The subscriber obtains a license permitting reproductionof the encrypted content by accessing a license server to obtain alicense whose attribute conditions the attribute information of thecontent satisfies (see, e.g., patent document 1).

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No.2005-346731

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Problem to be Solved by the Invention

With respect to the above technology, however, a problem arises in that,for example, the content data can no longer be used when the license ofthe content data expires. For example, with respect to a contract schemewhere the license is renewed by way of a network, in an environmentwhere the network cannot be accessed, since the license cannot berenewed, the content data can no longer be used.

For example, when a user does not use a content reproducing apparatusand has not turned on the power source thereof for several days, thecontent reproducing apparatus cannot connect to the network and cannotrenew the license. Further, the license cannot be renewed when thecontent reproducing apparatus is a mobile terminal (such as a cellularphone terminal and a navigation device) located in an area where thenetwork is not available.

In such cases if the content data immediately becomes unusable, theconvenience of the subscription service decreases as compared with, forexample, the purchase of the content data. As a result, for example, aproblem arises in that it becomes difficult for the subscription serviceto obtain support from the user.

Means for Solving Problem

A content delivery apparatus according to the invention of claim 1delivers, to an information processing device, content data reproduciblewithin a given effective period. The content delivery apparatus includesa payment information acquiring unit that acquires informationconcerning a state of payment that is from a user of the informationprocessing device and for a fee for delivery of the content data; atemporary authentication information sending unit that sends, to theuser without using a communication line, temporary authenticationinformation to temporarily extend the effective period, when theinformation acquired by the payment information acquiring unit indicatesthat the payment of the fee has been made; and a formal authenticationinformation sending unit that sends, to the information processingdevice by using the communication line, formal authenticationinformation to formally extend the effective period, when theinformation acquired by the payment information acquiring unit indicatesthat the payment of the fee has been made.

A content reproducing apparatus according to the invention of claim 2reproduces content data reproducible within a given effective period.The content reproducing apparatus includes a formal authenticationinformation acquiring unit that acquires, by using a communication lineand from a content delivery apparatus that delivers the content data,formal authentication information to extend the effective period; aninput unit that receives input of an instruction to reproduce thecontent data; a determining unit that determines whether a date-time onwhich the input unit has received the instruction to reproduce is withinthe effective period based on the formal authentication informationacquired by the formal authentication information acquiring unit; areproducing unit that reproduces the content data when the determiningunit determines that the date-time is within the effective period basedon the formal authentication information; and a temporary authenticationinformation acquiring unit that acquires temporary authenticationinformation to temporarily extend the effective period without using acommunication line when the determining unit determines that thedate-time is not within the effective period based on the formalauthentication information. The determining unit determines whether thedate-time on which the input unit has received the instruction toreproduce is within the effective period based on the temporaryauthentication information acquired by the temporary authenticationinformation acquiring unit. The reproducing unit reproduces the contentdata when the determining unit determines that the date-time is withinthe effective period based on the temporary authentication information.

A content delivery method according to the invention of claim 4 is amethod of delivering, to an information processing device, content datareproducible within a given effective period. The content deliverymethod includes a payment information acquiring step of acquiringinformation concerning a state of payment that is from a user of theinformation processing device and for a fee for delivery of the contentdata; a temporary authentication information sending step of sending, tothe user without using a communication line, temporary authenticationinformation to temporarily extend the effective period, when theinformation acquired at the payment information acquiring step indicatesthat the payment of the fee has been made; and a formal authenticationinformation sending step of sending, to the information processingdevice by using the communication line, formal authenticationinformation to formally extend the effective period, when theinformation acquired at the payment information acquiring step indicatesthat the payment of the fee has been made.

A content reproducing method according to the invention of claim 5 is amethod of reproducing content data reproducible within a given effectiveperiod. The content reproducing method includes a formal authenticationinformation acquiring step of acquiring, by using a communication lineand from a content delivery apparatus that delivers the content data,formal authentication information to extend the effective period; aninput step of receiving input of an instruction to reproduce the contentdata; a first determining step of determining whether a date-time atwhich the input step has received the instruction to reproduce is withinthe effective period based on the formal authentication informationacquired at the formal authentication information acquiring step; afirst reproducing step of reproducing the content data when at the firstdetermining step it is determined that the date-time is within theeffective period based on the formal authentication information; atemporary authentication information acquiring step of acquiringtemporary authentication information to temporarily extend the effectiveperiod without using a communication line when at the first determiningstep it is determined that the date-time is not within the effectiveperiod based on the formal authentication information; a seconddetermining step of determining whether the date-time at which the inputstep has received the instruction to reproduce is within the effectiveperiod based on the temporary authentication information acquired at thetemporary authentication information acquiring step; and a secondreproducing step of reproducing the content data when at the seconddetermining step it is determined that the date-time is within theeffective period based on the temporary authentication information.

A content delivery program according to the invention of claim 6 causesa computer to execute the content delivery method according to claim 4.

A content reproduction program according to the invention of claim 7causes a computer to execute the content reproduction method accordingto claim 5.

A computer-readable recording medium according to the invention of claim8 stores therein the content delivery program according to claim 6 orthe content reproduction program according to claim 7.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a functional configuration of a contentdelivery system;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a procedure of the content delivery processingby a content delivery apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a procedure of content reproduction processingby a content reproducing apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a diagram depicting an overview of a music delivery system;

FIG. 5 is a diagram for description of one example of music delivery bythe music delivery system;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of one example of a hardware configuration ofa subscription service server;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of one example of a hardware configuration ofa navigation device;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a procedure of effective period renewalprocessing by the subscription service server; and

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a procedure of the content reproductionprocessing by the content reproducing apparatus.

EXPLANATIONS OF LETTERS OR NUMERALS

100 content delivery system

110 content delivery apparatus

111 payment information acquiring unit

112 temporary authentication information sending unit

113 formal authentication information sending unit

120 content reproducing apparatus

121 formal authentication information acquiring unit

122 input unit

123 determining unit

124 reproducing unit

125 temporary authentication information acquiring unit

126 authenticating unit

130 communication line

140 user

BEST MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment will now be described in detail of a contentdelivery apparatus, a content reproducing apparatus, a content deliverymethod, a content reproducing method, a content delivery program, acontent reproducing program, and a recording medium according thepresent invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Embodiment

Functional configuration will be described of a content delivery system100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is ablock diagram of a functional configuration of the content deliverysystem. As depicted in FIG. 1, a content delivery system 100 comprises acontent delivery apparatus 110 and a content reproducing apparatus 120.A “user” as used in the following description means the user of thecontent reproducing apparatus 120.

The content delivery apparatus 110, including a payment informationacquiring unit 111, a temporary authentication information sending unit112, and a formal authentication information sending unit 113, deliversto an information processing device (e.g., the content reproducingapparatus 120, etc.), content data that can be reproduced for apredetermined effective period. The content delivery apparatus 110 is agroup of servers under the control of a content distributor thatprovides, for example, a subscription service. The subscription serviceis, for example, a service enabling a user 140 to download content datafrom among a predetermined group of content and reproduce downloadedcontent data using the content reproducing apparatus 120, etc., of theuser 140 for a period limited by a contract term at a predeterminedcontract fee.

While, generally, the subscription service includes a service ofproviding the content by streaming reproduction as well, the presentspecification describes a scheme to realize a service that permits theuser 140 to download the content data of the predetermined group ofcontent data or reproduce the downloaded content data during thecontract term by paying the predetermined contract fee, as describedabove.

The content data delivered by the content delivery apparatus 110includes various data such as, for example, video data, music data,image data, and application data. The content data may be delivered byuse of a communication line 130 or by, for example, postal mailing of arecording medium storing therein the content data.

The content data delivered by the content delivery apparatus 110 can bereproduced only within a predetermined effective period. The effectiveperiod of the content data is established according to the fee paid fordelivery of the content data. For example, when a given amount has beenpaid by the user 140 of the content reproducing apparatus 120, theeffective period is established based on the paid amount.

The payment information acquiring unit 111 acquires informationconcerning the state of the payment, by the user 140 of the contentreproducing apparatus 120, of the fee for the delivery of the contentdata. The payment information acquiring unit 111 acquires informationindicating whether a usage charge for the subscription service has beenpaid by the user 140, based on, for example, the information concerninga monthly charge, an annual charge, etc., for the subscription service,information concerning the term of the contract with the user 140, andinformation concerning payment made to a bank account of the contentdistributor.

The temporary authentication information sending unit 112 sends, to theuser 140 without using the communication line, temporary authenticationinformation to temporarily extend the effective period when the paymentinformation acquiring unit 111 acquires information indicating that thefee has been paid. The temporary authentication information sent to theuser 140 is acquired by the content reproducing apparatus 120 through atemporary authentication information acquiring unit 125 to be describedlater.

The temporary authentication information sending unit 112 displays thetemporary authentication information on a display unit of, for example,equipment used by the user 140 in making payment of the fee (such as acash dispenser used in a bank-to-bank transfer, a POS terminal used inpayment at a convenience store, and a cellular phone terminal deviceused in mobile banking). In this case, the user 140 causes the contentreproducing apparatus 120 to acquire the temporary authenticationinformation by inputting the temporary authentication informationdisplayed on the display unit to the content reproducing apparatus 120.

The temporary authentication information sending unit 112 may alsooutput the temporary authentication information to a receipt to beissued when the fee is paid by the user 140 or to a transfer-use IC card(such as a bank card and a credit card) utilized in making payment ofthe fee. In this case, the user 140 causes the content reproducingapparatus 120 to acquire the temporary authentication information byinputting the temporary authentication information output to thereceipt, etc., to the content reproducing apparatus 120. The temporaryauthentication information sending unit 112 may also send a recordingmedium storing therein the temporary authentication information to theuser 140. In this case, the user 140 causes the content reproducingapparatus 120 to acquire the temporary authentication information bycausing the content reproducing apparatus 120 to read the temporaryauthentication information stored in the recording medium.

The temporary authentication information includes, for example, permitinformation permitting the reproduction of the content data only for apredetermined period and a program capable of executing the reproductionof the content data only for the predetermined period. The temporaryauthentication information is generated based on information that can beknown commonly to the content delivery apparatus 110 and the contentreproducing apparatus 120 even if the apparatuses are unable tocommunicate with each other by way of the communication line 130, suchas, for example, identification information that identifies the contentreproducing apparatus 120 or the user 140. The temporary authenticationinformation is generated by a generating method (logic) that can beknown only to the content delivery apparatus 110 and the contentreproducing apparatus 120 and cannot be known to the user 140.Specifically, there are methods such as, for example, a method ofrearranging a certain character string according to a predeterminedlogic and treating such rearranged string as the temporaryauthentication information.

As described, the content delivery apparatus 110 and the contentreproducing apparatus 120 have in common the information from which thetemporary authentication information is generated and the method ofgeneration thereof. Thus, the content reproducing apparatus 120 cangenerate the same information as the temporary authenticationinformation sent by the content delivery apparatus 120 and can confirmwhether the temporary authentication information acquired by the contentreproducing apparatus 120 has been officially issued.

The formal authentication information sending unit 113 sends formalauthentication information to formally extend the effective period tothe content reproducing apparatus 120 using the communication line 130when the payment information acquiring unit 111 acquires the informationindicating that the fee has been paid.

The reason will be described as to why the temporary authenticationinformation sending unit 112 sends the temporary authenticationinformation to the content reproducing apparatus 120. The extension ofthe effective period of the content data is performed by the formalauthentication information being sent, by the formal authenticationinformation sending unit 113, to the content reproducing apparatus 120by way of the communication line 130. However, for example, when thecontent reproducing apparatus 120 is in a situation where thecommunication line 130 cannot be used, the effective period cannot beextended and the content data cannot be reproduced despite the fact thatthe payment of the fee has been made.

To prevent such a situation, the content delivery apparatus 110 sends,to the user 140, the temporary authentication information to temporarilyextend the effective period of the content data upon confirming that thepayment has been made by the user 140 of the content reproducingapparatus 120. The user 140 can temporarily extend the effective periodusing the temporary authentication information and reproduce the contentdata even if the content reproducing apparatus 120 cannot use thecommunication line 130 and cannot formally extend the effective period.

A functional configuration of the content reproducing apparatus 120 willbe described. The content reproducing apparatus 120, including a formalauthentication information acquiring unit 121, an input unit 122, adetermining unit 123, a reproducing unit 124, a temporary authenticationinformation acquiring unit 125, and an authenticating unit 126,reproduces the content data that is reproducible for the predeterminedeffective period and delivered by the content delivery apparatus 110.

The formal authentication information acquiring unit 121, using thecommunication line 130, acquires from the content delivery apparatus 110that delivers the content data, the formal authentication information toextend the effective period. The formal authentication informationacquiring unit 121 acquires the formal authentication information sentby, for example, the formal authentication information sending unit 113of the content delivery apparatus 110.

The input unit 122 receives input of an instruction to reproduce thecontent data. The input unit 122 receives, for example, the input of thereproducing instruction given by the user 140. The input unit 122 is,for example, a reproducing instruction button provided on the contentreproducing apparatus 120 or a reproducing instruction icon displayed ona display unit of the content reproducing apparatus 120 by the contentreproducing program.

The determining unit 123 determines whether the date/time at which theinput of the reproducing instruction is received by the input unit 122is within the effective period, based on the formal authenticationinformation acquired by the formal authentication information acquiringunit 121. When the formal authentication information has not beenacquired by the formal authentication information acquiring unit 121,the determining unit 123 may determine whether the date/time is withinthe effective period set in the content data when delivered from thecontent delivery apparatus 110.

If it is determined by the determining unit 123 that the date/time iswithin the effective period based on the formal authenticationinformation, then the reproducing unit 124 reproduces the content data.

If it is determined by the determining unit 123 that the date/time isnot within the effective period based on the formal authenticationinformation, the temporary authentication information acquiring unit 125acquires the temporary authentication information to temporarily extendthe effective period without using the communication line 130. Thetemporary authentication information acquiring unit 125 acquires thetemporary authentication information by, for example, an input of thetemporary authentication information by the user 140. The temporaryauthentication information acquiring unit 125 acquires the temporaryauthentication information by, for example, reading a recording mediumstoring therein the temporary authentication information.

The authenticating unit 126 authenticates whether the temporaryauthentication information acquired by the temporary authenticationinformation acquiring unit 125 is the information sent by the contentdelivery apparatus 110. As described above, the content deliveryapparatus 110 and the content reproducing apparatus 120 have in commonthe information from which the temporary authentication information isgenerated and the method of generation thereof. For this reason, theauthenticating unit 126 can generate the same information as thetemporary authentication sent by the content delivery apparatus 110 andcan verify whether the temporary authentication information acquired bythe temporary authentication information acquiring unit 125 is theinformation officially issued (sent) by the content delivery apparatus110.

If the authenticating unit 216 authenticates that the temporaryauthentication information is the information acquired from the contentdelivery apparatus 110, the determining unit 123 determines whether thedate/time at which the input of the reproducing instruction is receivedby the input unit 122 is within the effective period, based on thetemporary authentication information acquired by the temporaryauthentication information acquiring unit 125. If it is determined bythe determining unit 123 that the date/time is within the effectiveperiod based on the temporary authentication information, thereproducing unit 124 reproduces the content data.

Processing of the content delivery apparatus 110 and the contentreproducing apparatus 120 in the content delivery system 100 will bedescribed. Content delivery processing by the content delivery apparatus110 will be described first. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a procedure of thecontent delivery processing by the content delivery apparatus. Asdepicted in the flowchart of FIG. 2, the content delivery apparatus 110,through the payment information acquiring unit 11, acquires theinformation concerning the state of the payment by the user 140 withrespect to the fee for the delivery of the content data (step S201) anddetermines whether the fee has been paid for the delivery of the contentdata, based on the information concerning the payment state (step S202).

If the fee has been paid for the delivery of the content data (stepS202: YES), then the content delivery apparatus 110, via the temporaryauthentication information sending unit 112, sends the temporaryauthentication information to the user 140 without using thecommunication line 130 (step S203). On the other hand, if the fee hasnot been paid (step S202: NO), the content delivery apparatus 110returns to step S201 and repeats subsequent processing.

The content delivery apparatus 110 then determines whether thecommunication line 130 can be used (step S204). If the communicationline 130 can be used (step S204: YES), then the content deliveryapparatus 110, via the formal authentication information sending unit113, sends the formal authentication information to the contentreproducing apparatus 120 using the communication line 130 (step S205)and the processing according to the flowchart ends. On the other hand,if the communication line cannot be used (step S204: NO), the contentdelivery apparatus 110 waits until the communication line can be used(step 204: NO).

Content reproduction processing by the content reproducing apparatus 120will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a procedure of the contentreproduction processing by the content reproducing apparatus 120. Asdepicted in the flowchart of FIG. 3, the content reproducing apparatus120 waits until the content data reproducing instruction is input to theinput unit 122 (step S301: NO).

When the content data reproducing instruction is input (step S301: YES),the content reproducing apparatus 120, through the determining unit 123,determines whether the date/time at which the instruction is input atstep S301 is within the effective period, based on the formalauthentication information acquired by the formal authenticationinformation acquiring unit 121 (step S302). Configuration may be suchthat if the formal authentication information acquiring unit 121 has notacquired the formal authentication information, the determining unit 123will determine whether the date/time is within the effective period setin the content data when delivered by the content delivery apparatus110.

If the date/time at which the instruction is input is within theeffective period based on the formal authentication information (stepS302: YES), the content reproducing apparatus 120 proceeds to the stepS306. On the other hand, if the date/time at which the instruction isinput is not within the effective period, based on the formalauthentication information (step S302: NO), then the content reproducingapparatus 120, via the temporary authentication information acquiringunit 125, acquires the temporary authentication information withoutusing the communication line 130 (step S303).

The content reproducing apparatus 120, via the authenticating unit 126,determines whether the temporary authentication information is theinformation sent by the content delivery apparatus 110 (step S304). Ifthe temporary authentication information is the information sent by thecontent delivery apparatus 110 (step S304: YES), the determining unit123 determines whether the date/time at which the instruction is inputat step S301 is within the effective period, based on the temporaryauthentication information (step S305).

If the date/time is within the effective period based on the temporaryauthentication information (step S305: YES) or is within the effectiveperiod based on the formal authentication information at step S302 (stepS302: YES), then the content reproducing apparatus 120, via thereproducing unit 124, reproduces the content data for which thereproduction is instructed (step S306) and the processing according tothe flowchart ends.

On the other hand, if the date/time is not within the effective periodbased on the temporary authentication information at step S305 (stepS305: NO) or if it is determined that the temporary authenticationinformation is not the information sent by the content deliveryapparatus 110 (step S304: NO), the processing according to the flowchartends without reproduction of the content data.

As described above, the content delivery system 100 sends temporaryauthentication information to temporarily extend the effective period ofthe content data delivered to the user 140. Even if the contentreproducing apparatus 120 cannot connect to the communication line 130and cannot acquire the formal authentication information, the user 140can temporarily extend the effective period and reproduce the contentdata by causing the temporary authentication information to be acquiredby the content reproducing apparatus 120, thereby preventing aninability to reproduce the content data despite the payment of the feefor the delivery of the content data by the user 140 and enhancing theconvenience of the content delivery system 100.

The content reproducing apparatus 120 determines whether the acquiredtemporary authentication information is the information officiallyissued by the content delivery apparatus 110, thereby enabling thecontent delivery system 100 to prevent fraudulent generation, etc. ofthe temporary authentication information by the user 140 and to ensurethe fee for the delivery of the content data is obtained.

Example

An example of the present invention will be described. The presentexample describes one example in which the content delivery apparatus ofthe present invention is implemented by a subscription service serverproviding the subscription service and the content reproducing apparatusof the present invention is implemented by a navigation device equippedon a vehicle, a PC (personal computer), a content player, etc.

(Overview of System)

An overview of a music delivery system that distributes music as anexample of the content delivery according to the present example will bedescribed with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a diagram depicting anoverview of the music delivery system. As depicted in FIG. 4, a musicdelivery system 400 includes a subscription service server 401 and acontent reproducing apparatus 410, specifically, for example, anavigation device 410 a, a PC 410 b, and a player 410 c.

The subscription service server 401 and each content reproducingapparatus 410 are connected by way of a network 420. If, for example,the content reproducing apparatus 410 has no communication function,music data delivered to another content reproducing apparatus 410 can becopied to the content reproducing apparatus 410 using wired or wirelesscommunication.

The subscription service server 401 delivers the music data to thecontent reproducing apparatus 410 of the user 450 under a music datadelivery contract with the user 450 (subscription service contract).While the following description assumes that each content reproducingapparatus 410 is owned by the same user 450, the owners of the contentreproducing apparatuses 410 may be different.

The subscription service server 401 may be a server group including, forexample, a content server that keeps and manages the music data, anauthenticating server that performs processing of authenticating aterminal of the user 450 and processing of setting and managing theeffective period, etc., of the music data, and a charging server thatmanages contract information and charging information concerning theuser 450. The server group is not limited to, for example, three serversand may include servers respectively having any one or more of thefunctions of the content server, the authenticating server, and thecharging server, configured to realize all of the functions.

The navigation device 410 a as an example of the content reproducingapparatus 410 is equipped on a mobile object such as a vehicle and, inaddition to performing vehicular route guidance, reproduces the contentrecorded on a recording medium or acquired by a communication function.Specifically, the navigation device 410 a is capable of reproducing themusic data delivered by the subscription service server 401.

The PC 410 b is equipped with various functions such as a documentpreparing function and an image processing function in addition to afunction of reproducing the content data, the music data, etc. The PC410 b may be, for example, installed at the residence, work place, etc.of the user 450, or may be portable, e.g., a notebook PC.

The player 410 c is a terminal device that reproduces content data suchas music data delivered mainly by the subscription service server 401.The player 410 c may be a device specialized in reproducing the contentdata including music data or may be a device having other functions aswell like, for example, a cellular phone terminal device. The player 410c, in addition to receiving music data directly from the subscriptionservice server 401, may further reproduce music data copied from the PC410 b or the navigation device 410 a.

The content reproducing apparatus 410 such as the navigation device 410a, the PC 410 b, and the player 410 c has a function of referring to alist of or information concerning usable music data by a display unit,an audio output unit, etc., not depicted, and is capable of receiving aselection of the music data desired for listening by the user 450through an operation unit, etc., and reproducing the music data.

The music data to be reproduced by the content reproducing apparatus 410may be music data that is not downloaded from the subscription serviceserver 401. Configuration may be such that the music to be reproduced isselected from among music kept and managed by, for example, thesubscription service server 401 and upon completion of download, theselected music is reproduced.

When, for example, connection by one content reproducing apparatus 410to the subscription service server 401 by way of the network 420 isunstable, configuration may be such that the music data will bedelivered from the subscription service server 401 to another contentreproducing apparatus owned by the user 450 and thereafter the musicdata is transferred to the content reproducing apparatus 410 having theunstable connection

(One Example of Music Delivery)

One example of music delivery by the music delivery system 400 will bedescribed with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a diagram for descriptionof one example of music delivery by the music delivery system. FIG. 5describes a method of payment according to a monthly charge that billsfor one-month payment, each month. The method of payment according tothe monthly charge is a method in which payment for the subsequent monthof the subscription service contract is set by a time limit, forexample, within the current month (e.g., 23 hours 59 minutes 59 secondsof the last day of the current month), as a deadline for payment and thesubscription service contract is extended automatically for the nextmonth.

FIG. 5 describes the subscription service where the contract period ispredetermined, for example, for two months (August and September). Thecontract period may be predetermined at the time of a first payment orthe contract may start when the payment is made and end when the monthlycharge is no longer paid. As depicted in FIG. 5, the user 450 makes asubscription service contract with the subscription service server 401.In the example depicted in FIG. 5, the user 450 has made a contract fortwo months, August and September.

The subscription service server 401 accepts the subscription servicehaving a predetermined contract period of two months. When the user 450makes payment of the monthly charge for August having a payment deadlineof July 31 (payment a), the subscription service server 401 generatessubscriber information and charging information and starts thesubscription service. The subscription service server 401 authorizes thedownloading of contents by the user 450 until the end of Augustaccording to the prepared charging information.

The user 450, having made the payment a, may download during the perioduntil August 31, the music data the user 450 likes, as much as the user450 likes from the music data group prepared by the subscription serviceserver 401. As depicted in FIG. 5, the user 450 downloads music data Aand music data B. The subscription service server 401, upon receipt of adownloading request for the music data A or the music data B from theuser 450, delivers the applicable music data A or music data B to thecontent reproducing apparatus 410 of the user 450.

At the time of delivering the music data, the subscription serviceserver 401 sets the effective period for the music data, based on thecharging information. The effective period is a period within which thecontent reproducing apparatus 410 of the user 450 is permitted toreproduce the music data. The effective period is set by effectiveperiod information being written, for example, in a predeterminedposition of the music data. In the example of FIG. 5, since only thepayment a for August has been settled, the effective period set for themusic data A and the music data B, i.e., the downloading of the contentdata is authorized by the payment a, continues until August 31 (to bemore specific, August 31, 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds).

Upon receipt of an instruction to reproduce the content data, thecontent reproducing apparatus 410 refers to the effective period of thecontent data and determines whether the present time is within theeffective period. The content reproducing apparatus 410 reproduces thecontent data if the present time is within the effective period of thecontent data and does not reproduce the content data if the effectiveperiod of the content data has elapsed.

The user 450 makes payment b for September at the end of August. At thetime of confirming the payment b, the subscription service server 401renews the charging information and authorizes downloading by the user450 of the deliverable contents until the end of September, based on therenewed charging information. The subscription service server 410 setsthe effective period of the music data to be delivered, based on therenewed charging information. Specifically, the effective period of, forexample, music data C downloaded after the payment b, is set atSeptember 30. The subscription service server 401 sets the effectiveperiod by, for example, writing the effective period information to themusic data.

When the charging information is renewed, the subscription serviceserver 401 renews the effective period set in the music that has beendownloaded. Specifically, the subscription service server 401 changesthe effective period of, for example, the music data A and the musicdata B downloaded prior to the confirmation of the payment b, toSeptember 30. The subscription service server 401 transmits, forexample, renewal authentication information with the renewed effectiveperiod described therein to the content reproducing apparatus 410 by wayof the network 420. When the content reproducing apparatus 410 does nothave a communication function, the content reproducing apparatus 410acquires the renewal authentication information by way of anotherterminal device having a communication function. The content reproducingapparatus 410 upon receipt of transmission of the renewal authenticationinformation rewrites the effective period information written in themusic data to the renewed effective period described in the renewalauthentication information, thereby enabling the music data to bereproduced through the renewed effective period.

The renewal authentication information is transmitted to the contentreproducing apparatus 410 by way of the network 420. Therefore, when thecontent reproducing apparatus 410 cannot to use the network 420, therenewal authentication information cannot be received. For example, whenthe user 450 is out of his home, abroad on a trip, or on a businesstrip, for a long period, the user 450 may not be able to connect withthe network 420 that the user 450 is authorized to use. When the contentreproducing apparatus 410 is the navigation device 410 a and is locatedin mountains, connection with the network 420 may not be possible. Insuch case, the content reproducing apparatus 410 cannot extend theeffective period and cannot reproduce the content data despite paymentof the fee.

To prevent such a situation, at the time of confirming the payment fromthe user 450 of the content reproducing apparatus 410, the subscriptionservice server 401 sends the temporary authentication information totemporarily extend the effective period of the content data to the user450 without using the network 420. The temporary authenticationinformation includes, for example, the permit information to permit thereproduction of the content data only for a predetermined period, aprogram capable of executing the reproduction of the content data onlyfor the predetermined period, etc.

The temporary authentication information is generated based oninformation that can be known commonly to the subscription serviceserver 401 and the content reproducing apparatus 410 even if thesubscription service server 401 and content reproducing apparatus 410are unable to communicate by way of the network 420, such as theidentification information that identifies the content reproducingapparatus 410 or the user 450. The temporary authentication informationis generated by a generating method (logic) that can be known only tothe subscription service server 401 and the content reproducingapparatus 410 and cannot be known to the user 450. Specifically, thereare methods such as, for example, a method of rearranging a certaincharacter string according to a predetermined logic and treating suchrearranged string as the temporary authentication information.

As described, the subscription service server 401 and the contentreproducing apparatus 410 have in common information from which thetemporary authentication information is generated and the method ofgeneration thereof. For this reason, the content reproducing apparatus410 can generate the same information as the temporary authenticationinformation sent by the subscription service server 401 and can confirmwhether the temporary authentication information acquired by the contentreproducing apparatus 410 has been officially issued (is notfraudulently created by the user 450).

The temporary authentication information is sent by displaying theinformation on a display unit of, for example, equipment used by theuser 450 in making payment of the monthly charge (such as a cashdispenser used in a bank-to-bank transfer, a POS terminal used inpayment at a convenience store, and a cellular phone terminal deviceused in mobile banking). In this case, the user 140 reads the temporaryauthentication information displayed on the display unit and inputs theinformation to the content reproducing apparatus 410.

The temporary authentication information may also be sent, for example,by outputting the information to a receipt, etc., to be issued when themonthly charge is paid by the user 450. In this case, the user 450 readsthe temporary authentication information output to the receipt andinputs the information to the content reproducing apparatus 410. Thetemporary authentication information may also be sent, for example, bysending a recording medium storing therein the temporary authenticationinformation to the user 450. In this case, the user 450 causes thecontent reproducing apparatus 410 to read out the temporaryauthentication information stored in the recording medium.

The temporary authentication information may also be sent, for example,when the user 450 makes, by electronic mail or telephone, an inquiryconcerning the temporary authentication information to an operator ofthe subscription service after the payment of the monthly charge. Thetemporary authentication information may also be transmitted to thecontent reproducing apparatus 410 when, for example, the temporaryauthentication information is of a low volume as compared with therenewal authentication information and may be transmitted by way of thenetwork 420.

The period for which the effective period is extended by the temporaryauthentication information may be fixed or may be determined accordingto the payment amount transferred from the user 450. The temporaryauthentication information may be the information for rewriting theeffective period information of each content data or may be informationfor controlling the reproducing function so that the content data can bereproduced only for the extended period, without rewriting the effectiveperiod information of each content data.

Further, configuration may be such that the user 450 can request bytelephone, electronic mail, etc., the sending of additional temporaryauthentication information when, for example, the renewal authenticationinformation cannot be received within the effective period extended bythe temporary authentication information and formal renewal cannot beperformed. In this case, the subscription service server 401authenticates the user 450 who requested the additional temporaryauthentication information, confirms the charging information, and sendsto the user 450 the additional temporary authentication informationwithin the period corresponding to the monthly charge that has beenpaid.

When the renewal authentication information is received within theperiod extended by the temporary authentication information, the contentreproducing apparatus 410 renews the effective period information of thecontent data and reproduces the content data based on the renewedeffective period information.

As described, the subscription service server 401 issues the temporaryauthentication information at the time of payment of the monthly charge,thereby enabling the user to temporarily extend the effective periodusing the temporary authentication information and reproduce the contentdata.

Description with respect to FIG. 5 continues. The user 450 makes paymentc for October at the end of September. At the time of confirmation ofthe payment c, the subscription service server 401 renews the charginginformation and authorizes the user 450 to download applicable contentsthrough the end of October according to the renewed charginginformation. When the charging information is renewed, the subscriptionservice server 401 renews the effective period set for the music thathas been downloaded. Specifically, the subscription service server 401,for example, transmits the renewal authentication information to extendthe effective period of the music data A, the music data B, and themusic data C downloaded prior to the confirmation of the payment c toOctober 31 and at the same time, sends the temporary authenticationinformation to temporarily extend the effective period.

Although the diagram depicted in FIG. 5 describes a method of payment bythe monthly charge, the payment method is not limited hereto.Specifically, configuration may be such that the payment method is setby the operator, etc., who provides the subscription service, such as,for example, a payment method according to an annual charge that bills aone-year fee, annually.

While description has explained that in extending the effective periodof the content data, the subscription service server 401 transmits therenewal authentication information to the content reproducing apparatus410 and the content reproducing apparatus 410 rewrites the effectiveperiod information of the music data, the subscription service server401 may also rewrite the effective period information of the music datadirectly.

(Hardware Configuration of Subscription Service Server 401)

A hardware configuration of the subscription service server 401according to the example will be described with reference to FIG. 6.FIG. 6 is a block diagram of one example of a hardware configuration ofthe subscription service server.

As depicted in FIG. 6, the subscription service server 401 includes aCPU 601, a ROM 602, a RAM 603, a magnetic disk drive 604, a magneticdisk 605, an optical disk drive 606, an optical disk 607, an audio I/F(interface) 608, a microphone 609, a speaker 610, an input device 611, avideo I/F 612, a display 613, and a communication I/F 614, respectivelyconnected through a bus 620.

The CPU 601 governs overall control of the subscription service server401. The ROM 602 stores therein various programs such as a boot program,a communication program, a data managing program, and an effectiveperiod setting program. The RAM 603 is used as a work area of the CPU601.

The magnetic disk drive 604 controls the reading and writing of datawith respect to the magnetic disk 605 under the control of the CPU 601.The magnetic disk 605 records the data written under the control of themagnetic disk drive 604. The magnetic disk 605 may be HD (hard disk) orFD (flexible disk), for example.

The optical disk drive 606 controls the reading and writing of data withrespect to the optical disk 607 under the control of the CPU 601. Theoptical disk 607 is a removable recording medium having data read outunder the control of the optical disk drive 606. A writable recordingmedium may be utilized for the optical disk 607. The removable recordingmedium may be a medium other than the optical disk 607, such as an MOand a memory card.

The audio I/F 608 is connected to the microphone 609 and the speaker610. The microphone 609 receives sound. The audio I/F 608 A/D convertssound, and the speaker 610 outputs sound.

The input device 611 includes a remote controller having keys forentering characters, numeric values, and various instructions; akeyboard; a mouse; a touch panel; etc.

The video I/F 612 is connected to the display 613. Specifically, thevideo I/F 612 includes, for example, a graphic controller that governsoverall control of the display 613, a buffer memory such as VRAM (VideoRAM) that temporarily records immediately displayable image information,and a control IC that controls the display 613 based on image dataoutput from a graphic controller.

The display 613 displays icons, cursors, menus, windows, and/or variousdata such as characters and images. For example, a CRT, a TFT liquidcrystal display, a plasma display, etc., may be employed as the display613.

The communication I/F 614 is connected to the network 420 and functionsas an interface between the network 420 and the CPU 601.

Respective functions of the payment information acquiring unit 111, thetemporary authentication information sending unit 112, and the formalauthentication information sending unit 113 provided in the contentdelivery apparatus 110 depicted in FIG. 1 are realize by the CPU 601executing a predetermined program, using the program and the datarecorded in the ROM 602, the RAM 603, the magnetic disk 605, the opticaldisk 607, etc., in the subscription service server 401 depicted in FIG.6, and controlling each unit of the subscription service server 401.

The subscription service server 401 in the example is capable ofexecuting the functions of the content delivery apparatus 110 depictedin FIG. 1 according to the content delivery procedure depicted in FIG. 2by executing the content delivery program recorded in the ROM 602 as arecording medium in the subscription service server 401.

(Hardware Configuration of Navigation Device 410 a)

A hardware configuration of the navigation device 410 a according to theexample will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a blockdiagram of one example of a hardware configuration of the navigationdevice.

As depicted in FIG. 7, the navigation device 410 a includes a CPU 701, aROM 702, a RAM 703, a magnetic disk drive 704, a magnetic disk 705, anoptical disk drive 706, an optical disk 707, an audio I/F (interface)708, a microphone 709, a speaker 710, an input device 711, a video I/F712, a display 713, and a communication I/F 714, a GPS unit 715, varioussensors 716, and a camera 717, respectively connected through a bus 720.

The CPU 701 governs overall control of the navigation device 410 a. TheROM 702 stores therein various programs such as a boot program, a routeretrieval program, a route guidance program, a communication program,and a content reproduction program. The RAM 703 is used as a work areaof the CPU 701.

The magnetic disk drive 704 controls the reading and writing of datawith respect to the magnetic disk 705 under the control of the CPU 701.The magnetic disk 705 records the data written under the control of themagnetic disk drive 704. The magnetic disk 705 may be HD (hard disk) orFD (flexible disk), for example.

The optical disk drive 706 controls the reading and writing of data withrespect to the optical disk 707 under the control of the CPU 701. Theoptical disk 707 is a removable recording medium having data read outunder the control of the optical disk drive 706. A writable recordingmedium may be utilized for the optical disk 707. The removable recordingmedium may be a medium other than the optical disk 707, such as an MOand a memory card.

The audio I/F 708 is connected to the microphone 709 that is forinputting sound and the speaker 710 that is for outputting sound. Theaudio I/F 708 A/D converts sound. The speaker 710, outputs sound(specifically, music data reproduced by the content reproducingprogram).

The input device 711 includes a remote controller having keys forentering characters, numeric values, and various instructions; akeyboard; a mouse; a touch panel; etc.

The video I/F 712 is connected to the display 713. Specifically, thevideo I/F 712 includes, for example, a graphic controller that governsoverall control of the display 713, a buffer memory such as VRAM (VideoRAM) that temporarily records immediately displayable image information,and a control IC that controls the display 713 based on image dataoutput from a graphic controller.

The display 713 displays icons, cursors, menus, windows, and/or variousdata such as characters and images. For example, a CRT, a TFT liquidcrystal display, a plasma display, etc., may be employed as the display713.

The communication I/F 714 is wirelessly connected to the network 420(refer to FIG. 4) and functions as an interface between the network 420and the CPU 701.

The GPS unit 715 receives signals from GPS satellites and outputsinformation indicative of the current position of the vehicle. Theinformation output from the GPS unit 715 is used along with outputvalues of the various sensors 716 described hereinafter when the CPU 701calculates the current position of the vehicle. The informationindicative of the current position is information specifying one pointon map information, for example, latitude/longitude and altitude.

The various sensors 716 include a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor,and an angular-speed sensor and output information that enablesvehicular position and behavior to be determined. Values output from thevarious sensors 716 are used by the CPU 701 for calculating the currentposition of the vehicle and measuring changes in velocity and direction.

The camera 717 records images inside or outside of a vehicle. The imagesmay be either a still image or a moving image. Images recorded by thecamera 717 are output to a recording medium such as the magnetic disk705 or the optical disk 707 by way of the video I/F 712.

Respective functions of the formal authentication information acquiringunit 121, the input unit 122, the determining unit 123, the reproducingunit 124, the temporary authentication information acquiring unit 125,and the authenticating unit 126 provided in the content reproducingapparatus 120 depicted in FIG. 1 are realized by the CPU 701 executing apredetermined program, using the program and the data recorded in theROM 702, the RAM 703, the magnetic disk 705, the optical disk 707, etc.,in the navigation device 410 a depicted in FIG. 7, and controlling eachunit of the navigation device 410 a.

The navigation device 410 a of the example is capable of executing thefunctions of the content reproducing apparatus 120 depicted in FIG. 1according to the content reproducing procedure depicted in FIG. 3 byexecuting the content reproducing program recorded in the ROM 702 as arecording medium in the navigation device 410 a.

(Effective Period Renewal Processing by Subscription Service Server)

Effective period renewal processing of the music data by thesubscription service server 401 will be described with reference to FIG.8. As described above, the subscription service server 401 renews theeffective period according to the payment of the monthly charge from theuser 450. Details will be described of the processing in such case. Itis assumed that prior to this processing, the subscription serviceserver 401 has delivered music data to the content reproducing apparatus410 of the user 450 in response to a request from the user 450. Themusic data consequently delivered at that time has the effective periodinformation already written therein.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a procedure of effective period renewalprocessing by the subscription service server As depicted in theflowchart of FIG. 8, the subscription service server 401 waits until themonthly charge is paid by the user 450 for the subscription service(step S801: NO). When the monthly charge is paid (step S801: YES), thesubscription service server 401 renews the charging information for theuser 450 (step S802).

The subscription service server 401 then sends the temporaryauthentication information to temporarily extend the effective period ofthe music data to the user 450 (step S803). The subscription serviceserver 401 determines whether the content reproducing apparatus 410 ofthe user 450 can connect to the network 420 (step S804). If the contentreproducing apparatus 410 can connect to the network 420 (step S804:YES), the subscription service server 401 transmits the renewalauthentication information to the content reproducing apparatus 410(step S805) and the processing according to this flowchart ends.

Without use of the determination process at step S804, the contentreproducing apparatus 410 may be deemed to be able to connect with thenetwork 420, for example, when the renewal authentication information istransmitted (see step S805) and the renewal authentication informationis received (or is not sent back as a transmission error) by the contentreproducing apparatus 410.

On the other hand, when the content reproducing apparatus 410 cannotconnect to the network 420 (step S804: NO), the subscription serviceserver 401 determines whether the request for the additional temporaryauthentication information has been received from the user 450 (stepS806). If the request for the additional temporary authenticationinformation has not been received (step S806: NO), the subscriptionservice server 401 returns to step S804 and continues subsequentprocessing.

On the other hand, if the request for the additional temporaryauthentication information has been received (step S806: YES), thesubscription service server 401 refers to the charging informationcorresponding to the user 450 (step S807) and determines whether thereceived request for additional temporary authentication information iswithin the limit of the monthly charge paid at step S801 (already paidcharge) (step S808). If the received request is within the limit of thealready paid charge (step S808: YES), the subscription service server401 sends the additional temporary authentication information to theuser 450 (step S809), returns to step S804, and continues subsequentprocessing. On the other hand, if the received request is not within thelimit of the already paid charge (step S808: NO), then the subscriptionservice server 401 rejects sending of additional temporaryauthentication information (step S810) and the processing according tothis flowchart ends.

(Content Reproduction Processing by the Content Reproducing Apparatus410)

The content reproduction processing by the content reproducing apparatus410 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a flowchart ofa procedure of the content reproduction processing by the contentreproducing apparatus. It is assumed that prior to this processing,music data has been delivered from the subscription service server 401to the content reproducing apparatus 410. The music data delivered atthat time has the effective period information already written therein.

As depicted in the flowchart of FIG. 9, the content reproducingapparatus 410 waits until an instruction to reproduce the music data isgiven by the user 450 (step S901: NO). The instruction to reproduce themusic data is given, for example, by the user 450 selecting desiredmusic data from among the music data recorded in the content reproducingapparatus 410 by way of the input device 711.

If an instruction is given to reproduce the music data (step S901: YES),the content reproducing apparatus 410 refers to the effective periodinformation of the selected music data and determines whether thepresent time is within the effective period of the music data (stepS902). When, for example, a time is specified for starting thereproduction of the music data, such as in a case of reservedreproduction, the content reproducing apparatus 410 may also determinewhether the time specified for starting the reproduction is within theeffective period.

If the time is within the effective period of the music data, thereproduction of which is instructed (step S902: YES), and the contentreproducing apparatus 410 proceeds to step S906. On the other hand, ifit is not within the effective period of the music data (step S902: NO),the content reproducing apparatus 410 determines whether the temporaryauthentication information can be acquired (step S903). Whether thetemporary authentication information can be acquired is determined, forexample, by the content reproducing apparatus 410 requesting the user450 to input the temporary authentication information, determiningwhether the temporary authentication information has been input by theuser 450 in response to such request.

If the temporary authentication information can be acquired (step S903:YES), the content reproducing apparatus 410 determines whether theacquired temporary authentication information is information officiallyissued by the subscription service server 401 (step S904). As describedabove, the content reproducing apparatus 410 and the subscriptionservice server 401 have in common the information from which thetemporary authentication information is generated and the method ofgeneration thereof Thus, the content reproducing apparatus 410 cangenerate the same information as the temporary authenticationinformation sent by the subscription service server 401 and can confirmwhether the temporary authentication information acquired by the contentreproducing apparatus 410 has been officially issued (is notfraudulently created by the user 450, etc.).

If the temporary authentication information has been officially issuedby the subscription service server 401 (step S904: YES), the contentreproducing apparatus 410 determines whether the present time is withinthe effective period, based on the temporary authentication information(step S905). As at step S902, when a time is specified for starting thereproduction of the music data, the content reproducing apparatus 410may also determine whether the time specified for starting thereproduction is within the effective period.

If the present time is within the effective period based on thetemporary authentication information (step S905: YES) or if, at stepS902, the present time is within the effective period of the contentdata (within the effective period based on the effective periodinformation) (step S902), then the content reproducing apparatus 410reproduces the content data (step S906) and processing according to theflowchart ends.

On the other hand, if the present time is not within the effectiveperiod, based on the temporary authentication information (step S905:NO), then the content reproducing apparatus 410 notifies the user 450 ofexpiration of the effective period of the content data (step S907) andprocessing according to the flowchart ends. In this case, the user 450,for example, requests the additional temporary authenticationinformation, etc., from the subscription service server 401.

The content reproducing apparatus 410 notifies the user 450 ofexpiration of the effective period of the content data (step S907) andfinishes the processing according to the flowchart also when thetemporary authentication information cannot be acquired at step S903(step S903: NO) and when the temporary authentication information is notofficially issued by the subscription service server 401 at step S904(step S904: NO).

As described above, the music delivery system 400 sends temporaryauthentication information to temporarily extend the effective period ofcontent data, to the user 450 simultaneously upon completion of thepayment of the monthly charge. The user 450 can temporarily extend theeffective period and reproduce the music data by inputting the temporaryauthentication information to the content reproducing apparatus 410 evenif the content reproducing apparatus 410 cannot connect to the network420 and cannot formally renew the effective period, thereby preventing asituation in which the music data can no longer be reproduced despitepayment of the monthly charge by the user 450 and improving theconvenience of the music delivery system 400.

With the information from which the temporary authentication informationis generated and the method of generation thereof being shared by thesubscription service server 401 and the content reproducing apparatus410, the content reproducing apparatus 410 can confirm whether thetemporary authentication information has been officially issued (is notfraudulently created by the user 450, etc.), thereby enabling the musicdelivery system 400 to securely obtain the fee for the delivery of thecontent data while maintaining its convenience.

The content delivery method, the content reproduction method explainedin the present embodiment can be implemented by a computer, such as apersonal computer and a workstation, executing a program that isprepared in advance. The program is recorded on a computer-readablerecording medium such as a hard disk, a flexible disk, a CD-ROM, an MO,and a DVD, and is executed by being read out from the recording mediumby a computer. The program can be distributed through a network such asthe Internet.

1-8. (canceled)
 9. A content delivery apparatus that delivers, to aninformation processing device, content data reproducible within aneffective period, the content delivery apparatus comprising: a paymentinformation acquiring unit that acquires information concerning a stateof payment that is from a user of the information processing device andfor a fee for delivery of the content data; a temporary authenticationinformation sending unit that sends, to the user without using acommunication line, temporary authentication information to temporarilyextend the effective period, when the information acquired by thepayment information acquiring unit indicates that the payment of the feehas been made; and a formal authentication information sending unit thatsends, to the information processing device by using the communicationline, formal authentication information to formally extend the effectiveperiod, when the information acquired by the payment informationacquiring unit indicates that the payment of the fee has been made. 10.A content reproducing apparatus that reproduces content datareproducible within an effective period, the content reproducingapparatus comprising: a formal authentication information acquiring unitthat acquires, by using a communication line and from a content deliveryapparatus that delivers the content data, formal authenticationinformation to extend the effective period; an input unit that receivesinput of an instruction to reproduce the content data; a determiningunit that determines whether a date and time at which the input unitreceives the instruction to reproduce is within the effective periodbased on the formal authentication information acquired by the formalauthentication information acquiring unit; a reproducing unit thatreproduces the content data when the determining unit determines thatthe date and time are within the effective period based on the formalauthentication information; and a temporary authentication informationacquiring unit that, without using a communication line, acquirestemporary authentication information to temporarily extend the effectiveperiod, when the determining unit determines that the date and time arenot within the effective period based on the formal authenticationinformation, wherein the determining unit determines whether the dateand time at which the input unit receives the instruction to reproduceare within the effective period based on the temporary authenticationinformation acquired by the temporary authentication informationacquiring unit, and the reproducing unit reproduces the content data,when the determining unit determines that the date and time are withinthe effective period based on the temporary authentication information.11. The content reproducing apparatus according to claim 10, furthercomprising: an authenticating unit that authenticates whether thetemporary authentication information acquired by the temporaryauthentication information acquiring unit is the information sent by thecontent delivery apparatus, wherein the determining unit determineswhether the date and time at which the input unit receives theinstruction to reproduce is within the effective period based on thetemporary authentication information acquired by the temporaryauthentication information acquiring unit, when the authenticating unitauthenticates that the temporary authentication information is theinformation sent by the content delivery apparatus.
 12. A contentdelivery method of delivering, to an information processing device,content data reproducible within an effective period, the contentdelivery method comprising: acquiring information concerning a state ofpayment that is from a user of the information processing device and fora fee for delivery of the content data; sending, to the user withoutusing a communication line, temporary authentication information totemporarily extend the effective period, when the information acquiredat the acquiring indicates that the payment of the fee has been made;and sending, to the information processing device by using thecommunication line, formal authentication information to formally extendthe effective period, when the information acquired at the acquiringindicates that the payment of the fee has been made.
 13. A contentreproducing method of reproducing content data reproducible within aneffective period, the content reproducing method comprising: acquiring,by using a communication line and from a content delivery apparatus thatdelivers the content data, formal authentication information to extendthe effective period; receiving input of an instruction to reproduce thecontent data; determining whether a date and time at which theinstruction to reproduce is received at the receiving are within theeffective period based on the formal authentication information acquiredat the acquiring; reproducing the content data when at the determiningit is determined that the date and time are within the effective periodbased on the formal authentication information; acquiring, without usinga communication line, temporary authentication information totemporarily extend the effective period, when at the determining it isdetermined that the date and time are not within the effective periodbased on the formal authentication information; determining whether thedate and time at which the instruction to reproduce is received at thereceiving are within the effective period based on the temporaryauthentication information acquired at the acquiring the temporaryauthentication information; and reproducing the content data, when atthe determining whether the date and time are within the effectiveperiod based on the temporary authentication information, it isdetermined that the date and time are within the effective period basedon the temporary authentication information.
 14. A computer-readablerecording medium storing therein a content delivery program fordelivering, to an information processing device, content datareproducible within an effective period, the content delivery programcausing a computer to execute: acquiring information concerning a stateof payment that is from a user of the information processing device andfor a fee for delivery of the content data; sending, to the user withoutusing a communication line, temporary authentication information totemporarily extend the effective period, when the information acquiredat the acquiring indicates that the payment of the fee has been made;and sending, to the information processing device by using thecommunication line, formal authentication information to formally extendthe effective period, when the information acquired at the acquiringindicates that the payment of the fee has been made.
 15. Acomputer-readable recording medium storing therein a contentreproduction program for reproducing content data reproducible within aneffective period, the content reproduction program causing a computer toexecute: acquiring, by using a communication line and from a contentdelivery apparatus that delivers the content data, formal authenticationinformation to extend the effective period; receiving input of aninstruction to reproduce the content data; determining whether a dateand time at which the instruction to reproduce is received at thereceiving are within the effective period based on the formalauthentication information acquired at the acquiring; reproducing thecontent data when at the determining it is determined that the date andtime are within the effective period based on the formal authenticationinformation; acquiring, without using a communication line, temporaryauthentication information to temporarily extend the effective period,when at the determining it is determined that the date and time are notwithin the effective period based on the formal authenticationinformation; determining whether the date and time at which theinstruction to reproduce is received at the receiving are within theeffective period based on the temporary authentication informationacquired at the acquiring the temporary authentication information; andreproducing the content data, when at the determining whether the dateand time are within the effective period based on the temporaryauthentication information, it is determined that the date and time arewithin the effective period based on the temporary authenticationinformation.